8/9/2019 Route: Southeast Ridge Posted On: 8/9/2019, By: HikesInGeologicTime Info: Still wildflower season on this one! I even spotted a late-blooming columbine posing for pictures right by the trail less than a mile from the parking lot. No snow on or near the route. There's a faint trail that goes all the way up the ridge line once you hike above the obvious one that ascends the shoulder. Trekking poles may come in handy for descending that section, which is the steepest part and consists mostly of loose-ish dirt, but if you're willing to get a good thigh workout in by staying centered on the balls of your feet, you'll be fine without and will likely be glad you didn't add unnecessary weight for the remainder of the hike. This is a good one if you're looking to get a tune-up hike in close to Denver when weather forecasts aren't cooperating for your preferred fourteeners! I did it in 4h13m with half an hour on the summit (which windy, though not enough to discourage me from taking my shirt off!). Oh, and good luck to anyone wanting to hike near I-70 this weekend - traffic was already jammed from Idaho Springs back to MM 257 or so when I was coming down in the 2:30-3 time frame. :/ |
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7/8/2019 Route: from Argentine Posted On: 7/8/2019, By: shaunblair Info: Summer conditions - it is possible to summit from multiple directions without stepping in snow. On my descent, I went down the east ridge, which has a considerable snowfield (took two steps in, postholed and didn't try to traverse it, went around) starting near the east end of summit ridge and runs most the way around the east face down to almost Upper ST Lake. Route south if you want to avoid this snowfield. |
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6/1/2019 Route: Southeast Ridge Posted On: 6/2/2019, By: jnzaro Info: Still snowy. The crust was good yesterday morning. No snowshoes necessary. Traction was nice on the steep slope. Never sunk more than a couple of inches once the sun warmed up. Very few spots without snow on the trail but I expect with the warmer weather that will start to change soon. |
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4/27/2019 Route: Southeast Ridge Posted On: 4/28/2019, By: WildWanderer Info: Parked at the campground. The road in was pretty well packed down but I started late in the afternoon and wore snowshoes the entire way. From the bathrooms there is no visible trail. I put in a trench that probably won't be there tomorrow because it was very windy and started snowing on my way down. Snowshoes were only necessary in the willows. The ridge is wind blown. |
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4/7/2019 Route: Southeast Ridge Posted On: 4/7/2019, By: Vincopotamus Info: Road has a hardpacked trail up to the pass, then mostly snow with some bare ground up to the ridge at 13k - snowshoes/flotation here handy in the morning and absolutely necessary coming back in the heat of the afternoon. Once on the ridge I cached my snowshoes and was able to pick my way up mostly bare ground to the summit. Never put on the microspikes, though they are always good to have this time of year. |
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2/3/2019 Route: East ridge Posted On: 2/4/2019, By: Giant hills Info: From parking area to summer trailhead the road is packed and no need for snow shoes. From summer trailhead to gain the east ridge we used snow shoes. After gaining the ridge we ditched them and were no longer needed. The ridge was blown dry except for the occasional snow patch and the upper ridge on the summit plateau. Instead of taking the upper steepest part of the ridge we opted for the east slope snow field that is to the left of the ridge. My buddy stayed more center of the field and I stayed more right. We both found great winter snow in both areas of the slope. Used crampons and axes for that portion. We had friends that took the ridge and they didn't use traction. Took the full east ridge on descent and we did use traction either. There's one little "scrambly" section but nothing to really write home about. fun and straight forward. Also super windy. |
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11/20/2018 Route: Southeast Ridge Posted On: 11/21/2018, By: crowdsurf Info: Mostly consolidated snow that is great for glissading. Brought snowshoes but never used them. Minimal and acceptable amounts of postholing. Traction, gaiters and poles are probably necessary if you intend to summit. Be careful finding the trail on the way back from the lakes. There are multiple tracks and I chose poorly and ended up wallowing the the famous Guanella pass willows. |
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10/20/2018 Route: Southeast Ridge Posted On: 10/20/2018, By: dwoodward13 Info: Really good trail in to the lower lake. Not quite as good to the second lake, but I passed quite a few people on the way down so it may be better after today. From the turnoff, varying mix of up to 6 inches of snow and bare ground. Easy to pick a line that leans more toward staying on bare ground. Some other avoidable and obvious spots with larger 1 ft+ drifts. I brought spikes but felt no need to take them out. There are a few very small places where you might punch thru a bit, but they are so small no need to lug up flotation...at least until the next storm hits! |
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10/7/2018 Route: Southeast Ridge Posted On: 10/7/2018, By: wondering_hough Info: We hiked in an eerie cold mist/clouds for 90% of the hike today. Weather was as forecasted and the conditions we about an inch to three inches of snow above 12k. Winds were 15mph sustained and gusts of 30+ around the summit. The trail was easily found but disappeared up high as the snow fell today. |
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9/2/2018 Route: Southeast Ridge Posted On: 9/2/2018, By: Cimadude Info: Great day for a climb. A little chilly up top - definitely needed my gloves and beanie but a welcome change from the heat. There is a good trail on the north side of the large east slope leading up to the first false summit then the trail is not constant after that to the real summit. Fun to walk around the summit plateau and check out the views in all directions. |
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9/2/2018 Route: East Ridge Posted On: 9/3/2018, By: supranihilest Info: We took the east ridge accidentally, guessing it would be better by looking at a topo map. It's not terrible, but going off trail will probably require a bushwhack through willows unless you find the correct turn off. The ridge itself is mellow for a long ways, and it's obvious where it starts to steepen. However, it looks worse from afar than it actually climbs. Ascend steep talus and tundra up the ridge; you can basically take it direct, including through the rock bands near the top. They go at Class 2+ at worst. That or you can skirt them to climber's left. From there it's easy to the summit. |
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8/19/2018 Route: Southeast Ridge Posted On: 8/20/2018, By: cdgibbons Info: I found this to be a wonderful hike- front range class 1 with nice views and relative solitude. I was able to follow a strong climber's trail almost the whole way after the route leaves the Lakes trail. This weekend's cold front brought colder, windy conditions and early-morning fresh snow above 13,000 feet. |
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7/8/2018 Route: Southeast Ridge Posted On: 7/11/2018, By: sdicenso Info: The trail is in good shape. Muddy through the willows. After the last sign, just aim towards the summit. There are some cairns and bits of social trails along the way. Pretty steep at this point. I turned around at the last false summit due to dark clouds building. Lots of wildflowers in bloom. More people on the trail than what I expected. Not a lot turned around at the threat of storms, which I warned many about, so luckily the clouds moved off and no lightning strikes. |
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6/30/2018 Route: From Naylor lake Posted On: 6/30/2018, By: Ptglhs Info: Still a fair bit of consolidated snow in the couloir that starts ~11.7. It was hard and slick at 7am so we stuck to the rocks on the east and then up the grassy slope. It was steep but dry and manageable. The route from the top of the ridge to the summit block was class 2 talus but stable. |
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6/10/2018 Route: Southeast Ridge Posted On: 6/10/2018, By: LetsGoMets Info: Summer conditions, enjoy. |